our team at donaldson law.

Over the last 20 years working in the law, Adair Donaldson has practiced across several areas, but always with a strong commitment to delivering lasting and meaningful solutions for his clients.

Adair is passionate about helping clients tell their stories, to ensure their voices are heard. He understands how important it is for clients to be able to trust their solicitor and he feels it is a privilege to have clients entrust him with their stories.

Adair was admitted as a solicitor in 1997, and he became a partner in the law firm Shannon Donaldson in 1999. In 2013 Shannon Donaldson was acquired by Shine Lawyers, and Adair worked for Shine as a Partner for over 3 years.

Adair Donaldson has appeared before Federal and State Parliamentary Committees to provide evidence with respect to addressing youth violence, alcohol related issues, and most recently in relation to abuse in the Australian Defence Force. In 2002 Adair was nominated for the Australian Plaintiff Lawyers Association Civil Justice Award in Queensland, and in 2005 he, along with his business partner Peter Shannon, won this same award.

In 2016 Adair founded Donaldson Law to focus on a non-adversarial approach to achieving holistic legal solutions for his clients.

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Lisa has worked in personal injuries compensation since 1993, and has been a Personal Injuries Accredited Specialist with the Queensland Law Society since 2001. Although she has over two decades of experience helping injured people get justice, she has found her real passion since she has been working exclusively with abuse survivors. Lisa has also been at the forefront in working with institutions in developing collaborative processes that deliver meaningful outcomes for survivors of abuse.

Lisa has often been described by her clients and colleagues as a down-to-earth straight shooter. They appreciate her honest and caring approach. It takes incredible courage for survivors to come forward and tell their stories, and Lisa considers it an honour to be entrusted with the responsibility of helping them get the acknowledgement and compensation they deserve. She considers it a privilege to be part of making a real difference to the lives of abuse survivors through using a collaborative approach which usually produces far more meaningful outcomes than a traditional litigious approach.

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Jacqui has over 20 years diverse legal experience in litigation, alternative dispute resolution and planning in the public and private sectors. Working closely with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse she felt drawn to assisting children, young people and adults navigate the often complex legal system. With an extensive background in negotiating legal solutions for public and private clients, Jacqui now wants to focus on individuals who have suffered trauma in their lives.

She has lived in Sydney all of her life and cares about sustainable living. With a Masters in Environmental Science and Law, Jacqui understands the impact that bad determinations can have on people’s lives and spent several years in local government striving to create stronger communities with equal focus on the built, green and social infrastructure.

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Pat grew up on sheep and cattle stations in far south west Queensland, and his down to earth and approachable manner were formed in this environment. Pat was drawn to the law through his strong sense of social justice and he is passionate about helping those who would otherwise not be in a position to help themselves.

Prior to joining Donaldson Law Pat had worked in civil litigation for 10 years. Focussing solely on representing people who had been injured. During this time, he built up a wealth of experience working with clients who had suffered trauma providing them with legal advice in an approachable and empathetic manner that instilled a sense of trust. He is a passionate advocate for the individual and derives a strong sense of satisfaction from getting the best possible outcomes for survivors of trauma.

Given Pat’s experience within civil litigation he was drawn to the Donaldson Law approach to managing claims and he mirrors Donaldson Law Director, Adair Donaldson’s, genuine desire to achieve the very best outcome for a client whilst supporting them through the process.

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Bianca has worked as a solicitor for almost a decade and in that time has gained extensive experience assisting people whose lives have been significantly impacted from injury.

In both a personal and professional sense Bianca has always found herself naturally drawn to helping to make a difference in other people’s lives, and it’s the satisfaction she gains from this that motivates her work as a solicitor. Working with survivors of abuse and advocating for their rights is a particular passion for Bianca, and her aim is to make a positive, lasting impact on both individuals and the community.

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Sarah was admitted as a solicitor in 2009. Since that time she has practiced exclusively in the area of family law. She is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law and was recognised in 2019 as a leading Family Lawyer in Toowoomba, Darling Downs and Western Queensland by Doyle’s Guide.

She has broad experience in family law including complex property and children’s matters. Sarah has a background in mediation and holds registration as a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner, allowing her to facilitate mediations and issue Section 60I certificates, if required. She completed Collaborative Law training in 2018, pursuing her vision of being able to offer separated families a variety of non-adversarial options, tailored to their specific needs. She brings to Donaldson Law a desire to work amicably and collaboratively to assist separated families avoid the trauma and expense associated with the Family Law Courts.

Since her admission, Sarah has volunteered at the local Domestic Violence Service, the Advocacy and Support Centre and the Toowoomba Family Relationship Centre.

Outside of the law, she has a wonderful husband and two amazing children. Sarah and her husband share a passion for CrossFit and co-own CrossFit Toowoomba. On the weekends, they can be found taking little trips away in their caravan with her family, creating special memories.

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Richard grew up in Toowoomba, in regional Queensland, but has spent the past ten years studying and working both overseas and in Brisbane. Richard was drawn to study law out of a strong sense of social justice and a desire to assist.

Richard has experience in criminal law, both in defence and in public prosecutions. His experience in criminal trials, particularly child abuse cases, highlighted to him how often they are a traumatic and stressful process for survivors. Often not giving them the outcome they had hoped for. It was this experience that ultimately drew him to the collaborative abuse law that Donaldson Law practices, assisting survivors in receiving an apology and recognition from the institution that wronged them and ensuring that institutions have made necessary changes that protect current and future generations.

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Marguerite has worked in the legal industry since 2012. She first worked with Adair assisting survivors of child sexual abuse to tell their stories and seek reparation over 5 years ago. Since then she has had experience in the areas of public liability and medical negligence, acting for insurance companies as well undertaking study overseas.

Her original experience assisting survivors sparked a passion for this type of work and her subsequent time in personal injuries highlighted the benefits of a collaborative approach compared to standard practices. It is for these reasons that Marguerite is such a committed advocate for all her clients.

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Emily has over 4 years’ experience working in the legal industry in the areas of family law and personal injuries. She has a Bachelor of Laws and is currently studying her Masters in Applied Law as well as volunteering at a community legal centre.

Emily is a true people person and she derives a great sense of satisfaction from assisting people through the often difficult process of seeking justice for historical abuse. Her empathetic, easy-going and straightforward manner smoothes this process for our clients.

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Annabel has experience working in both family law and personal injury law. She has worked in the legal profession since 2015, and was admitted as a lawyer in October 2016. Her stint in family law, particularly parenting matters, confirmed her genuine desire to improve situations for those experiencing stressful and emotional circumstances.

Being born and bred in Toowoomba, Annabel is active in the community and regularly volunteers her time at Rosies and the Toowoomba Blood Donor Centre. This is also extended into the sporting community where she plays women’s AFL for USQ Cougars.

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Alexis has over a decade’s experience in the legal industry. Starting at NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office where he worked as both a paralegal and solicitor. He also has experience in the private sector and in claims management for insurance companies, focusing on public liability and medical negligence.

He was keen to move from claims management back into client and outcomes focused work that Donaldson Law offers. Alexis grew up in Newcastle, outside of work he has a keen interest in history and has completed further studies in ancient history.

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Sarmad grew up in Toowoomba before studying in Brisbane. While studying he volunteered at a community legal centre. It was here that he learnt the power of story telling to help people from all walks of life who were faced with legal challenges. Before commencing work with us, Sarmad had been assisting abuse survivors in another firm. What attracted Sarmad to our boutique national firm was the opportunity to work closely with survivors in a truly trauma focused collaborative practice, rather than a traditional adversarial firm. Sarmad is also fluent in Arabic.

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Fiona is a highly skilled and empathetic paralegal who has worked in the legal industry since 2007, with a focus on personal injury law since 2011. Having recently joined the Donaldson Law team, Fiona has been humbled by the strength and resilience of the survivors she assists.

She works closely with the rest of the team and the client to ensure each client’s legal journey with Donaldson Law is as smooth and positive an experience as possible. Fiona is particularly motivated by seeing clients obtain a successful restorative conclusion to their matter.

Kathryn is a dedicated member of the Donaldson Law team, who values the restorative approach to achieving meaningful outcomes for clients.

Her commitment, compassion and kindness underlie her communication style, which she has developed through many years working within the health, education, mental health and aged care sectors. Kathryn’s client focussed approach to her work makes her a valuable part of the team that supports clients through the legal process.

Lauren is a highly skilled paralegal who is also currently studying a Bachelor of Laws. She is passionate about social justice and sees it as her privilege to hear the stories of clients and assist them in a meaningful way.

Lauren was drawn to the Donaldson Law team after learning about the collaborative process the team use to resolve their clients claims. Lauren believes it is important to help her clients be the best they can be and always ensures her clients are treated with the highest level of personal care.

Anna started with Donaldson Law in 2018 after working as a journalist with the ABC for 13 years in TV and radio news and current affairs. She has worked all around the country and overseas with the ABC.

Anna is currently studying law and is particularly motivated by assisting clients pursue justice through a trauma-informed approach. She is focused on ensuring clients are supported throughout their legal process.

Melinda grew up in North Queensland before studying psychology at university in Brisbane. She has worked extensively in the health sector, where she developed a passion for supporting clients and working to improve their outcomes.

Melinda decided to transfer her skills to the legal sector with Donaldson Law as she was attracted to being part of a passionate team committed to assisting survivors of sexual abuse through a collaborative process.

Katie assists solicitors Pat Kelly and Annabel Myatt in supporting clients throughout their claim. Katie has the benefit of 9 years’ experience in the legal industry having worked in family law administration for barristers. Katie is passionate about promoting the collaborative approach to the resolution of matters, particularly where survivors of sexual abuse are concerned.

Katie is a Toowoomba local who holds a Diploma of Business and is currently studying law.

Rebecca is a born and bred Queenslander and has worked in government, non-government and private practice in legal, youth justice, justice and health administration and mining sectors. She cut her teeth in the legal industry as a paralegal in Mackay in the mid 2000’s, and subsequently studied law whilst raising a family. She was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland in 2015.

Her work and family life have taken her to regional and remote areas of Queensland and also abroad to work within the youth sector in London and regional England. Rebecca is process driven and values ethics and integrity at the centrepiece of all of the work she performs. She has a strong sense of social justice which is one of the many reasons why she loves being a part of the Donaldson Law team.

Daniel Graduated from UTS with a double degree in Law and Business, majoring in economics. He has had experience working in the industry in various roles in Sydney, as well as having completed an international legal internship in Shanghai. After graduating from his degree in 2019, Daniel joined Donaldson Law to begin a career in the law where he wants to focus on assisting people in the area of negligence.

He has a keen interest in social justice issues, and focused on ethical legal topics throughout his studies. Daniel enjoys a healthy balance in his life, and dedicates part of his time to local NSW shelters in providing facilities to those in need. Currently, Daniel is completing his Practical Legal Training (PLT) part-time to gain admission as a lawyer in NSW, which he is due to complete in June 2020.

Sarah began work as a paralegal in November 2017, having come from an extensive background in hospitality but loves the challenges that the field of law presents. She loves learning and is committed to improving her skills each and every day, striving to provide excellent support to all our clients. Sarah is a people person and finds the interactions with clients the best part of her day. Sarah works closely with Sarah Adams in the Family Law team. She is currently studying a Bachelor of Laws at USQ.

At home she enjoys cooking, spending time with my family and entertaining, as well as watching any and all sports. Born in Melbourne, she follows the Richmond Tigers and Melbourne Storm. She also enjoys CrossFit (most mornings) and sport shooting (when she gets the chance). 

Letetia brings a lifetime of experience in business operations to the Donaldson Law team. Her organisational prowess, attention to detail and efficient work style allow her to offer support of the highest standard to all members of our legal team.

As personal assistant to Adair Donaldson, Letetia maintains his diary and travel arrangements, and liaises with clients to organise his speaking engagements and presentations.